The present invention relates to the field of multiple electrical connectors and mounting blocks therefor. Specifically, the present invention is directed to a new and improved mounting block for wire-formed solderless multiple connectors.
Solderless multiple connectors have found applicability in many fields, particularly in the field of telephonic equipment. These connectors may be used to establish interconnections between small diameter, insulated conductors in confined spaces where the use of screw type terminal strips or similar connecting devices are not suitable. In addition, some of these prior art connectors strip away the insulation from conductors inserted therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,132,913 relates to a solderless multiple connector formed from continuous strips of wire formed and shaped in adjacent and abutting loops so as to receive and electrically contact electrically conductive wire between abutting sections of loops. The wire formed solderless connector shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,132,913 was intended as an improvement on and had several advantages over prior art clip type connectors of the type generally shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,112,147 and which are sometimes referred to in the art as "66 Type" connectors.
The subsequent U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,880 is an improvement over deficiencies in U.S. Pat. No. 3,132,912. U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,880 relates to a mounting block for solderless connectors having a retainer and a body section which defines slots for housing terminal defining conductive elements. These conductive elements are formed from wire to define linearly aligned plural loops between which wires may be inserted. The conductive elements are arranged in uniformly spaced horizontal rows and vertical columns of terminals.
While a serious disadvantage of the connectors disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,132,913 has been the lack of tails or wire wrap pins, an attempt has been made to devise a suitable wire wrap pin for use in conjunction with the connectors described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,880. These wire wrap pins were disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 271,431, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,019, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference. Unfortunately, the tails or pins described therein suffer from certain unacceptable deficiencies. For example, the wire wrap pins of U.S. Ser. No. 271,431, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,019, comprise a plurality of rod-like pins which are press fit through apertures and subsequently positioned and frictionally engaged between adjoining loops. In order to accomplish this engagement, the springy loops are spacially separated from each other so that the straight wire wrap pins are compressively held therebetween. While suitable for its purposes, the structure of U.S. application Ser. No. 271,431, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,425,019, may have some drawbacks. The rod-like pins may be dislodged through inadvertent motions during subsequent repair work. Further, the standard loop structure of the connector must be altered to accommodate the insertion of pins and spacer elements. Also, the retainer must be formed with spacer members which fit between those connector loops without wire wrap pins to effect the spacial separation.